What is a Void Mage
'10/9/2014' Void Mage Those who wield this rare and often forbidden form of magic draw upon the power of the soul via emotions in order to fuel their spells. It is a well-rounded magic, suited to most situations. Against enemies consumed by their emotions and enemies of an undead nature, it is amazingly deadly. However in the face of a foe capable of fully controlling its emotions or a holy creature it loses much of its effectiveness. Despite its clear alignment towards death and necromancy, its true purpose is to serve as a way to fuel spells while lessening the draw upon the spell caster’s own manna supplies. In this vein, it can be applied to any school of magic. Although it can be used with any type of magic, there are five "styles" of void magic that are commonly taught to those who practice it. a) Dire flame: Practitioners of Dire Flame can throw bolts of fire, project explosive fireballs, and even summon dragon-like burning constructs that immolate enemies with tongues of flame. Sometimes the sight of a skilled user of power of dire flame is enough to reduce the bravest of opponents to begging for mercy. Due to being fueled by one’s own emotional energy, these flames burn brightly, in colors according to the user’s aura. It is preferred by those of an aggressive nature, or those attuned to heat. It also requires a grasp of balance, stability and order within one’s self, lest the flames turn inward upon the user. b) Diamond dust: While many mages swear by the power of Dire Flame, many others seek to master the powerful diamond dust. By using their energies to summon forth the soul-chilling cold of the highest mountains, masters of diamond dust can send daggers of ice flying toward enemies, call a freezing ice storm to slow their shivering foes, or even encase opponents in columns of ice before shattering them with a single blow. Few foes have the courage to stand up to the cold stare of a Diamond dust master. Diamond dust is preferred by those attuned to cold, or of a cold temperament. c) Tempest: mages proficient in Tempest have the winds at their beck and call. Foes who have faced this style and survived tell tales of blasts of gale-force winds and of powerful whirlwinds that effortlessly sent them flying away from the Tempest user himself. Many practitioners of Tempest face entire gangs without ever taking a wound, as the mighty winds at their command keep their foes at bay. Those with the chill of the wind in their hearts find Tempest far easier to command, so it is a favored style among those who have already mastered diamond dust. d) 'Terra cathedral: those who study this style gain mastery over the ponderous element of earth, putting the mighty power of stone and crystal at their command. Masters of Terra cathedral have the ability to attack enemies with crystalline missiles, encase foes in stone, or even open the ground beneath an opponent's feet. To command the power of earth requires a mind centered on balance, stability, and order, and so Terra cathedral is a favored style among those who have mastered dire flame.' e) Mind altering is very difficult and time consuming. If the Void Mage wants the information, he can store it in his own mind or in a vessel containing a special liquid formula. The formula usually contains a liquid metal such as mercury or quicksilver. Many mages disguise their formula with various other metals such as cinnabar. A holding spell is used to hold the information spoken into the Formula. The the formula should be capped tightly so that leakage won't happen. Summoning: This is the second essential skill of any void mage. And it is their most recognized one. It consists of two portions. The first is drawing a spirit into a soul forge. The second is binding it to a servant class. ''' '''There exist 7 classes of servants. Each class is geared towards a particular combat role. The classes are saber, archer, rider, caster, ruler, berserker, and assassin. Sabers are well balanced, equally suited to offensive or defensive roles. Though they are most skilled with swords, they are also able to wield elemental magic. And often utilize rune blades and a shield ' '''Archers are pure precision and speed. They are best suited to strike from long range, and tend to use bows with elementally enchanted arrows to attack. ' 'Riders are speed and force. They call upon wild beasts and use them as mounts. They are mid to close range, using spears as weapons to impale their foes mid charge. ' 'Casters are magic wielders. Essentially, they can do anything that a living mage could. They are thus versatile yet weak compared to the other classes. ' 'Berserkers are purely powerhouses. Their strength is unmatched, however... Once they are unleashed upon the battlefield, they are uncontrollable. ' 'Assassins are nimble and stealthy. Their role is to get behind the enemy and whittle down their resolve and strength. ' '''Rulers are different from the other classes in that they summon lesser undead to fight on their behalf rather than fight themselves. Thus they are suited to all roles. Rulers are extremely rare due to the strength needed for servants to summon even more undead These souls are stored in a Forge. They do not need any sustenance. ' '''A Void Mage can then summon a servant from the Soul Forge. It requires a chant of some kind. Depending on what is said in the Chant, a certain servant will be called forth. You need to be precise in what you are looking for. Be sure to make the chant rhyme for the best results. ' '''The making of a Soul Forge is a carefully guarded secret and is not repeated to anyone and usually the Soul Forge is handed down to the next mage. If one knows how to make a Soul Forge or a Soul Vessel, the person would be considered to be a Superior Mage indeed. A Soul Vessel is used to captured the soul of a person at the time of death as it departs the body. Most valuable souls are the ones that are captured by the Necromancy Mage. Other souls are acceptable but are not as strong as those that are collected by someone of the Necromancy sort. On another note, not all Necromancy Mages are Practitioners of the Black Arts. Some are Instructors and Historians who collect data from the Dead. After all, the Dead actually lived the History! Necromancy- Bring the dead back to semi life. It is very difficult to do and usually require a blood sacrifice to a demon who will most likely want some sort of a contract. The ones who are brought back will be simple minded and need to be directed by a strong mind. They are considered The Undead. Very few Necromancy Mages will have their own personal demon representative. On a rare occasion, a Necromancy Mage will marry a Demon or Demoness who will intervene on the Necromancy Mage.